courtgreene
Member
So, I have come into a situation that many of us easterners dream of, being an invitation from a western hunter to join them. The target is black bears and the area is Colorado (unit 33?, again, easterner, not sure how units work exactly) near Wyoming. None of that matters, this is what does:
The folks who invited me told me to expect, prepare and equip for long shots. They suggested being proficient at 5-600 yards. That is based on the average distance at which they've encountered and shot them in the past. I get all of that, leading to this installment of my appeal for your expertise, which will center on scopes. I'm sure that if I am able to go, I will ask other questions (camping/weather wear/other equipment needs) later.
I have 2 .308s and a .300wsm, and I'll probably grab one of each thusly chambered rifle for the trip. The .308 I would take has a Nikon 4-12x on it, which I am fairly comfortable using. The .300wsm wears a 3-9x. Here are my questions:
1. Should I upgrade the scope on the .300wsm? (I hate to spend money on a rifle that I do not love, even though it is very accurate, but would if suggested)
2. If I do, what do you western hunters suggest for those ranges in these areas (between 7-9k feet)?
3. Should I upgrade the Nikon 4-12x40mm on the .308 or do you folks think that is enough?
4. If so, repeat question 2.
5. Am I overthinking it and I should just practice really hard at range (but finding 600 open yards in NC is going to be tough)?
6. While I am on the subject of optics, what do you recommend for glassing hillsides? Obviously not rifle scopes. Safety first!
Thanks to all. The good thing is that if I can't swing it this year they have promised me the invitation stands for next year. New baby, yada yada. That is to say, I'm either in a big ol' hurry or I have plenty of time. We'll see.
The folks who invited me told me to expect, prepare and equip for long shots. They suggested being proficient at 5-600 yards. That is based on the average distance at which they've encountered and shot them in the past. I get all of that, leading to this installment of my appeal for your expertise, which will center on scopes. I'm sure that if I am able to go, I will ask other questions (camping/weather wear/other equipment needs) later.
I have 2 .308s and a .300wsm, and I'll probably grab one of each thusly chambered rifle for the trip. The .308 I would take has a Nikon 4-12x on it, which I am fairly comfortable using. The .300wsm wears a 3-9x. Here are my questions:
1. Should I upgrade the scope on the .300wsm? (I hate to spend money on a rifle that I do not love, even though it is very accurate, but would if suggested)
2. If I do, what do you western hunters suggest for those ranges in these areas (between 7-9k feet)?
3. Should I upgrade the Nikon 4-12x40mm on the .308 or do you folks think that is enough?
4. If so, repeat question 2.
5. Am I overthinking it and I should just practice really hard at range (but finding 600 open yards in NC is going to be tough)?
6. While I am on the subject of optics, what do you recommend for glassing hillsides? Obviously not rifle scopes. Safety first!
Thanks to all. The good thing is that if I can't swing it this year they have promised me the invitation stands for next year. New baby, yada yada. That is to say, I'm either in a big ol' hurry or I have plenty of time. We'll see.
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